UAE Gas Projects Advancing Towards Completion

The gas-starved UAE hopes to receive at least 2.55bn cfd of additional imported and domestic sales gas from projects scheduled to start up between 3Q13 and 4Q14, easing the crisis that results in a shortage of at least 2bn cfd of gas each summer.

Al-Hosn, a joint venture (JV) between state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) 60% and US independent, Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) 40%, is set to complete the Shah ultra-sour gas field development in 4Q 2014 – producing 1bn cfd of wellhead gas, when it ramps up to full output in 2015. Abu Dhabi originally aimed to start up Shah in 2012.

Shah’s hydrogen sulfide content will be processed into granulated sulfur and transported to Ruwais export terminal via a rail line under development that will link Shah to Abu Dhabi’s central gas processing complex at Habshan. The 266 km Shah-Ruwais link is the first section being built by Etihad Rail as part of its national railway network, which will extend from the Saudi border along the coast to Ras al-Khaimah. (CONTINUED - 1184 WORDS)